Stranger Danger

There were trees wearing kind, grandfatherly smiles on their tree trunks.

There were leaves that were dancing in the air, gathering or scattering as the wind dictated. They could be heard whispering to each other atop tree branches as well.

There were emerald green fruits hiding behind the leaves and peeping on them with bendy black eyes.

There were colorful flowers and grass playing games with one another in the distant trees.

There were dew drops dancing lithely on the pistils or leaves.

There were little mud people rolling on the ground and having fun.

There were ghastly silhouettes floating here and there and whispering softly in the wind.

……

It was as if the entire forest, no, the entire world had come alive. The only reason Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth hadn’t noticed them until now was because the creatures did not emanate any anomalous or evil presence whatsoever, and their activities were relatively obscure and well hidden.

Pedant Earth asked carefully as he turned a little paler. He was afraid of being too loud and triggering the little creatures.

“No,” Ye Qing declared without hesitation. “As I said earlier, they’re just ordinary objects that had temporarily gained sentience and come to life. They’re fundamentally different from Strangers.”

“Ordinary objects that temporarily came to life?” Shangguan Hongjin muttered as she stared at the living fantasy in front of her. “Is it because of the blood moon?”

Ye Qing nodded. “Most likely.”

“Did you notice this from the beginning?” Shangguan Hongjin looked at Ye Qing.

“Not really. I noticed them a little earlier than you two.” Ye Qing shook his head. “I just don’t see a need to warn you guys since I can’t sense any malice from them.”

“Are you sure?” Shangguan Hongjin frowned. “Why were the stones following us then?”

“Personally, I think they just want to play with us.” Ye Qing thought for a moment. “The stones had been following us since we entered this forest. If they really meant us harm, they wouldn’t have waited until now.”

… I thought you said you hadn’t noticed them from the beginning?

Shangguan Hongjin was speechless. She knew Ye Qing was strong, but it wasn’t until now that she realized just how powerful he really was. Not only did he possess an extraordinary body, even his spirit was stronger than her and Pedant Earth’s. This was evident from the fact that she and Pedant Earth did not notice anything amiss until just now, whereas Ye Qing had noticed the oddities practically from the start.

Strangely, she had never heard of someone like Ye Qing in the jianghu. It caused her to grow more and more curious as to his true identity.

“Is this why you stopped me?”

“Correct.” Ye Qing nodded. “Currently, these creatures don’t harbor any malice toward us, nor have they tried to attack us in any way. But who knows what could happen if we attack them recklessly and cause them to turn hostile?”

It wasn’t just pure speculation either. When Shangguan Hongjin attacked the stones just now, he immediately sensed a strong wave of hostility coming from the entire forest.

Had he not stopped Shangguan Hongjin, it was very possible that that hostility would have transformed into full-blown killing intent. It did not take a genius to know that that would end poorly for them.

“Of course, I’m not telling you to relax and treat this like a stroll in the park. Be on your guard and ready for anything.”

“Makes sense.” Pedant Earth nodded and looked a bit better.

“Got it.” Shangguan Hongjin also nodded in acknowledgement.

“Let’s continue then. Oh, and watch your step. Wouldn’t want to accidentally step on these creatures.” Ye Qing turned around and continued forward after saying that.

The anomalies only got weirder as they ventured deeper into the forest.

They saw glowing blue mushrooms the size of houses with tiny mushrooms hopping merrily underneath the caps.

They saw women made from pure water swimming along a stream and dancing to their heart’s content.

They saw blooming flowers with little people running circles around the petals.

They saw hills snoring with their mouths wide open, their breaths thankfully odorless and even refreshing.

So on and so forth.

Maybe it was because Ye Qing, Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth had shown themselves to be mild-mannered and peaceful, but some of the creatures actually got close to the trio after a while.

Some sort of tiny yet plump creatures rode a breeze to their side and flew circles around them, giggling.

Dandelions descended from above and landed on their shoulders, darting here and there.

Grass that were bearing round, fiery red fruits that resembled tiny lanterns walked in a line in front of them and illuminated the way ahead.

Catkins[1] floated here and there, up and down just above their heads.

Vines brushed gently and incessantly against their arms like playful children, and more.

At first, Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth were understandably nervous, especially since the tiny creatures did not seem to understand the concept of personal space. But over time, they relaxed when they confirmed that they really meant no harm.

Then, at some point during their track, the little creatures surrounding them abruptly took off in a certain direction. It was as if they were frightened by something.

The breeze in the trees took off with a whoosh.

The leaves and tree branches rustled like waves.

And the vines slithered rapidly across the ground like snakes.

“What’s happening?” Shangguan Hongjin asked in alarm.

Ye Qing shook his head. “I’m not sure. Maybe someone attacked one of the forest creatures?”

Ye Qing did not know what was going on, but he could sense the forest’s anger. That was how he was able to arrive at that deduction.

“Come. Let’s follow them.”

Ye Qing pushed off the ground and chased after the little creatures. A moment of hesitation, Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth fell in behind him.

Just a dozen or so breaths later, the trio figured out the reason behind the forest’s unusual reaction.

They saw six people being attacked by all sorts of flora. A group of four men and two women, they made a strong team with four late-stage Spirit Masters and two Half-Step Grandmasters. Out of all of them, a middle-aged man with fully white hair and goatee was the strongest of them all.

The middle-aged man looked to be in his forties or late-thirties, and he had pock marks all over his face and a goatee underneath his chin. He possessed a dark and ominous presence.

He wasn’t old, but for whatever reason, his hair was completely white, and his head was balding here and there and covered in scabies. It did no favors to his appearance.

That said, he was anything but a weakling. He wielded a blood-soaked rope that was giving off a dark, bloody aura.

The rope was wrapped around his neck, and its two ends were floating in the air like two snakes. It swept, tapped, smashed, or threw any forest creature that got too close to it. Any plant it touched instantly withered and died.

Although the group of six was quite powerful, they were in a precarious situation. The reason was simple. Their opponents weren’t a bunch of flora, but the entire forest itself.

The forest was angry, and it would have its due.

1. Now this is a trauma I remember even now. ☜

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